This study investigated the relationships between children’s secure base and emotion regulation,
namely their behavioral strategies and emotional expressiveness, during different
situational and social contexts in naturalistic settings. Fifty-five children ranging in age
from 18 to 26 months of age and their mothers participated in this study. Children were
exposed to three situational (fear, positive affect and frustration/anger) and two social
(maternal constraint and involvement) contexts. Toddlers’ behavioral strategies differed as
function of emotion-eliciting context, maternal involvement and attachment quality. Emotional
expressiveness varied as function of an interaction involving situational contexts,
maternal involvement and children’s attachment security.